The Devil Wore My Name

X. BLUFF

"Join us, and you will become *us*,"

Elfric couldn't help but chuckle feeling it rock in his chest as he allowed his head to drop, raising it once again not a minute later to glare at Crane, who was obviously not very fond of the way that Rick was acting. "Sorry, don't take it personally," said Rick. "But do you know how many times I have heard someone tell me to become someone else, other than who I'm"

Elfric suspected that if Crane did indeed know more about Orathan as he claimed, then he would easily catch on to his words.

"I see," Craner stated, starting to walk in circles around Elfric. "I believe that you have got a lot of things mixed up. I don't want your soul, actually, unlike the devil, it's something completely invaluable to me. What I want Elfric, is what you are now capable of."

Elfric hummed. He was starting to get curious about what he was capable of himself with Orathan inside him. But, the thought of being in that void again as the other caught the reins was…unpleasant. "And what do I get in return by joining you?"

Elfric watched as he reappeared in front of him again, wanting nothing but to rib that smirk off of his sly face, but somehow kept his composure.

"I'll take you into the Gotham family,"

Elfric snorted as his eyebrows flinched. Whatever Orathan was capable of doing was worth to this man more than handing over his family name to a stranger. Simply put…Rick didn't need Crane. Crane needed him…and desperately.

"Isn't that what you always wanted?" Crane added. "to have power more than anyone. To never allow someone to look down on you? To be a Noble!"

Now that…that was something. Elfric couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped his lips. "Y-you think that I want to be…be like you?" he questioned, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of his eyes.

"I see no humor in my words,"

"Not your words," Elfric corrected as the smile was ripped off his face with the thought of actually being a Noble. Of being the thing that he hated the most. "Your beliefs. I can't believe that you think that I want to be a Noble. Nothing personal, but…to me Nobles are lower than trash."

Crane burst out laughing. It was Elfric's turn to watch as the other man laughed his lungs out.

"You are right," said Crane. "It's shocking how low a Noble can get to satisfy his Greed but…" he paused.

"You have no idea the pain of the hunger from Greed. You have never had a taste of it. Power…Power, I'll give you power."

Before Rick could even reply, Crane raised a hand. Gesturing for Zeph to do something that left Eflric in a daze. Elfric felt his stomach twist, a gut feeling screaming for him to get out of here, but Cranes hold over his shoulder as he went back to stand behind him was firm.

He watched as the doors behind him burst open, revealing someone he never thought he would come across again.

"I-Impossible," he stuttered under his breath not caring if Crane heard his disbelief. His eyes widened in an attempt to see better the trembling figure of a girl just his sister's age, her mid-length golden hair falling out of its place while thick tears streamed down her blue eyes.

"I hope that my men have been hosting you properly…Miss Carol Frankenstein and Mr. Frankenstein," Crane breathed out. Elfric felt the chills go through his spine as he heard the whisper falling out of this man's mouth.

"W-why is she here?" he jolted out of Crane's hold, putting a good distance between the two of them. His eyes were going back and forth between Carol and Crane. This man was insane!

He was putting tabs on him! Why else would that girl be here!? the only time that he has ever met – or actually saw that girl was this morning! He never even said a word to her in the Principal's office.

"This is what power can do," Crane muttered as he took his time in approaching the girl and her father, who were on their knees in the room. Elfric saw the disbelief in Carol's eyes, the shock was mutual between them. Not believing that that simple meeting in the Principal's office has led them to meet again…like this.

"Roles switched," Crane finished the unspoken thoughts of Elfric. "This is what power can do, Rick." He placed his hands inside the blazer of his dark navy suit, pulling out a gun and gracefully placing it in Elfric's hand.

"W-What are you doing!?" Elfric yelled out, yanking his hand away but Crane's grip tightened, preventing it from leaving his grasp.

"Get that thing out of my hand, are you out of your mind!" Rick fisted his hands, pushing Crane along with his gun away from him.

"I see that Orathan still didn't toughen you out," Crane smirked as he checked the feeling of the cold metal against his skin, before turning his attention to the girl on the floor. Nothing but bloodthirst could be seen in his eyes.

"P-please let us go," Lord Frankenstein stuttered as he tried to protect his daughter with whatever he could. "W-we did nothing wrong!" The desperate man's eyes darted between both Elfric and Crane, looking for any sort of mercy.

Elfric avoided his gaze as he bit on his lower lip until he felt the blood seeping into his mouth. He can't believe that a small quarrel between middle school girls was the reason why this man had to witness a gun pointed at his daughter's head!

"Let them go," Elfric finally gathered his words.

"You have got me wrong," said Crane innocently. "I'm not blackmailing you. I'm only showing you what you can do…with me."

Elfric dug his nails deep into his palm.

This was all wrong.

He believed that it was Nobles bullying Commoners but no…it was much more than that cliché. It was the one with more power stumbling all over those who are weaker. Crushing them to the ground with or without a reason.

"And I believe that you have completely mistaken what I meant," Elfric stated, his own calmness shook him as he narrowed his eyes. "I won't join you with or without killing them! So go ahead and have more blood on your hands. See if I care."

Elfric knew that if he stood here any more things would only get worse. So he tried his luck. He allowed his aching feet to lead him past Crane, his skin felt like it had been skinned alive from the stares of help coming from Carol. That girl who was obviously pampered by her wealthy family all her life was most probably going to die because she had a silly fight with his sister.

For a second there, he saw his sister. Roles swapped, and it was she in need of help. Would there have been someone to help her? If not then…what difference was there between Elfric and Crane? He didn't kill her but…there she was breathing and alive, begging him for help.

What was he going to do?

There was nothing here in his possession that would scare Crane from killing them for fun…wait, there was. Orathan.

Well, he wasn't available at that moment, but still. There came the crashing realization as he looked one more time at Frankenstein…he had a feeling that he wasn't going to regret saving him.

Elfric halted. He was going to gamble his whole life on this…

"Changed your mind so quickly?" Crane smirked.

"Something like that," Rick stated as he turned halfway around. "They walk out with me if you don't want this building crumbling on top of your head." He pointed at the family on the floor. His eyes were fixed on Crane.

If Crane knew as much as he thinks he does, then he will bite the bait.

Crane stood there unmoved, but Elfric saw the way he panicked inside. He was positive that Crane had no idea that Orathan was out of service for a while, to him…he could tear down this entire tower at any given moment.

Crane couldn't risk that much, he sighed. "Uncuff them," he gestured to Zeph who was sweating from all the heat that rose from the tension in the room. "Escort them back home, Zeph."

"I'll take that you are a man of your Word, Crane," Elfric hissed before he finally walked through the door, holding himself up till he was safely in the vicinity of the elevator. His legs gave in underneath, making him fall to his knees, allowing himself a moment of mental breakdown as he made his journey down to the ground floor.

He ran a rough hand through his hair, combing his sweaty hair off his forehead.

"Holy shit, I felt that was the end of me…"